Sunday, February 15, 2009

This ones for Toasty!

I have been a bad bad blogger again! Just so busy I don't keep up with the blogging world. Today I was reading one of my favorites and the fine lady writer reminded me it was time to do an update! So Toasty here it is, this one's for you.

As many of you know we are in the middle of a very long, cold, snowy winter here in the northeast. My hill farm has gotten 234 inches of snow since Nov.20th. Down here at the homestead we have had 209 inches. So a lot of my energy has gone into snow related tasks.

Three weeks ago after a massive bout of cabin fever I decided the time has come to finish up my plan to move the layout around on the second floor of the homestead. The job started out with final removal of the kitchen that was there when this was a two family house. Three old walls got tore out and the new ones built. The area has become a new master bedroom. 15x20 feet with an 8 foot closet.

At the top of the staircase I left a large landing with a pocket door to be able to close of the upstairs. We have the heat zoned and turn it way way down during the day. This alone has already cut our consumption of gas. Across the front of the house I created a wide, bright hallway. We have a nice antique glass door cabinet that will display some of the that will display there along with some of the art.

On all three upstairs bedrooms and the bathroom I have replaced the swing doors with pocket doors. For a 36" door it saves 9 square feet of space and I love the look. The doors I used are all recycle from several sources. Half the fun is in the hunt. I used a beveled glass, 15 lite, very old, hardwood door at the top of the stairs. For the bedrooms and bath I used 6 panel doors , all very nice and look like they belong in this 200 year old house. Two in three to go in.

When the house was made into a two family some 60 or 70 years ago, whoever did the wood butchering must have been lazy. They just built over what ever was there. Thank God for that.The most work was saving the old plaster ceilings. Came out better then I could have expected. I had to fill gaps wherever the wall were. I lathed and plastered the ceilings and outside walls. The new interior walls I dry walled.

As of right now the new bedroom and closet is primed. The new floors in those two rooms are finished. Today I went over to the flat farm and planed some beautiful white ash that tomorrow I will turn into 7" baseboard and wide colonial casings for my trim. My plan was to finish it today, but I ran out of gas! Still have find the doors I want to use for the closet.

Also updated all the electrical and added cable to the new bedroom. Three way switched the staircase and hall way lighting. Installed plugs every 6 feet in the rooms and hall. I have the wall opened up to do the pocket doors on the other two bedrooms. Have to do the demo work for the bath room door, but I have purchased all the hardware.

All my lumber is my own. Started out as trees and sawed by yours truly. Once this is complete so is this house! Who am I kidding? There is that mud room to put on and I have an idea for a back deck that is pretty cool. I have to keep at it because when the weather breaks I go back to the "Hill Farm" and get back at that labor of love. My best guess two more weeks.

I will post some pictures I have taken but not downloaded yet! Compared to the broom closet we use for a bedroom now this thing is massive!

Great job. It sounds like a very good life that you have carved out for you and your family. Lots of the old way living blended with the new.

I am a big pocket door fan too. For us it's mostly because of space. Saving space that is. A few years ago we bought an old mobile home with the idea of making a cozy smaller home for retirement.

We may soon be finished. We totally gutted it. Everything is now new from plumbing, wiring, insulation, walls, flours, lighting and such and such. So much work but it has been wonderful each time a project is done. So I can imagine how good you feel with each achievement.

Much luck to you and yours. The snow will be gone soon and the garden and yard work begins. I came via Marmies site.

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About Me

Ready to get out of the race! Working at setting up our homestead in the hills. I bought a valley with a stream, a north facing slope and a south facing slope. We are going to live in what will become the guest house and build the house of our dreams into a south facing hillside overlooking our stream! Grew up with parents that marched to thier own drum and it has rubbed off. Married to my bride for 37 years and have teenage grandkids.I have always had two or three jobs at a time, that won't change other then I am retiring from my state job after 25 years. Plan to continue farming the flat farm even after my son buys it and will put 40 acres back into production at the new homestead. Our site lends itself to hydro-electric and I see this as an opportunity to make my carbon footprint somewhat smaller. Lots of research has gone into passive solar, underground living, and renewable energy in general.We have grown a large percentage of our own food for several years as I believe the commercial food industry is poison. I hunt, forage, hate lawns, and I am not that fond of close neighbors. Cured that by buying the whole road.